New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-01-30
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soSs AND DAUGHTERS Hy the "A Au a q Boston stone
T1eknor Il Co
DOCTOR CUPID. BY RHoDA BRoUeHroy. 16mo, PIP.
lO3 Philadelphia: j. B. Uppncott Company
CAsHEL BYRONs PROFESSION; BY GEORGE Ben
HARp SHAW, 16mo, PIP. lG3. Harper bro'hers'
"Sons and Daughters is an excellent piece OF
work. II is novel emphatically of the period.
redolent of the modern spirit, presenting lightly
and interestingly several Of the problems OF tho
hour. The author does not have recourse TO
changes of scene surprises in action The story
Is worked out altogether in one suburb or Phiia-
delphia. There is not sensational incident from
beginning to end Neither is there any OF tha'
overwrought psychologist analysis or pseudo
analysis which is affected by the mtrosiec'Nc
school. The story is most captivating and Is GU
mirably told, with simplicity ana sUraisn"
forwardness altogether satisfactory Belhs
story of sons and daughters it is largely one OF
love affairs. and though there are plenty OF them
they do not become tiresome The central nSure'
Miriam Reese is decidedly original. The only
laughter of q vulgar mllonairess who married
n Door man and refuses to give him any control
of her money this girl, possessing many sterling
qualities is in danger of spelling her life by the
exercise Of an incessant suspicion directed toward
the motives of those who seek her hand. She has
had only TOO much reason for doubling the sim
homage to her wealth rather than to herself. AT
length q lover comes who is not mercenary-
though even Paul Forbes is moved somewhat by
her possessions Still at first nc honestly believes
himself to be drawn by the girl herself. and she
Is too responsive not To desire that her mistrlst
should be groundleSS She has, however, prac-
tised this kind of inquisition too long to foreSo
It now, and since Paul is really fascinated rather
than enamored the situation becomes strained.
mir xslan
keeps house for the rector, her father, and who
unconscioIsy interferes between Paul and Miriam.
The scenes between Miriam and Polly CAPT
tally written though perhaps they tend to create
the impressi IN that whoever married the former
would have a sufficiently evcntful career assured
to him The daughters Of Redmond the banker,
eAube ant beauties who extend their energies on
physical science spritualism and the mnd-cure.
are delightful creations. esi ecally Lorraine, who
has r1adc up her mind to be a college professor
but whose scientific career is cruelty cut short by
Berthe Jasper. The Shakespeare Club, which
meets at Mr.. Reescs to correct the text Of "Ilan+
let. is described with much quiet and keen hui
NOR and not q little sarcasm. directed against a
prevalent literary foible. The dialogue is re-
markedly bright, natural and pointed. The char
acters are thoroughly distinguished and as thor
oughly harmonizcd Though many Of the young
people examples of that peculiar modern
iatsses aller system OF education which is apt TO
produce such astonishing results, the fIeallishncss
and hIegularity of their development in no way
deracts from the symmetry of their personalities.
and this is proof of high artistic skin. There
is but one doubtful episode in the book and that
is the final action Of Miriam. 1t would be too
much to say that what she does is unnatural, the
possibilities in such a case are so iIimltabe. But
somehow her marriage, coupled with the intinar
ton that she found happiness in it, seems incon-
sistent with the theory Of the genuineneSs OF her
original feeling for Paul, and If She is acquitted Of
caprice it can only be at some sacrifice of her
delicacy Of sentiment. Yet 1t must be always 50
hard to say what girl like Miriam would do
that any insstence upon such point is open to
the objection Of hyperTistcism. Tho story is 50
thoroughly good, too, that il deserves the heartiest
commendation and not the least pleasant thing
about it is the genality and sunnness Of its tone.
Evidently the author Of The Story Of Margaret
Kent is NO pessimist.
There is perversity about some Of Rhoda
Broughton's conceptions which inclines us to
quarrel with her art. She leans too much to the
French lines in fiction. and now and then seems TO
be contestng with Ouida the palm of naughtiness.
doctor Cupid is incontesably clever novel.
even brilliant one, but it does not leave all
altogether pleasant taste in the mouth The hero
is one of the deepminded, inscrutable young men
why was it necessary to complcate and deterior-
ate his character by presenting him the
Tier serrGnte Of a married Lady Betty? This
Lady Betty is herself a creature the like of whom
1t may be sincerely hoped does not exist in Eng
Land elsewhere. She is the fast woman of the
period magnifed thousand diamcters, and her
coarseness, vulgarity, indecency and general i'm
publicity are strongly emphasized to make
the rehabilitation Of John Talbot her quondam
coll IT,
this the author gives Talbot number of good
qualities but only with the effect of demonstrate
ing that man highly endowed could never
have fallen to the degraded position he occupies
when first introduced. In short it is clear that
either he was too good for Lady Betty or not good
enough for Margaret. His relation 10 the first
also makes it scarcely credible that the second
would have consented to know him, and the com
parative facility with which he acquires her
friendship-to say the least-is really imputa-
ton upon character which khoda Broughton
evidently meant DO be ideally lofty and pure. The
truth no doubt is that this author has uncon-
sciously suffered her ethical standard to sink 50
that at last her highest conception has become
only of secondary excellence. There are two love
stories in the book, that OF Prue and Freddy
Duncan being more sad yet more natural than the
other Freddy Duncan, a cultured, gentle. utterly
selfish yet sentimental young man, abstractly
full of high feelings and concretely destitute OF
principle. is cleverly workedout character
prue his victim, is in her way scarcely less selfish
being Margaret's adored and spoiled sister. She
Is not indeed very loyable little person, and ever
the tragedy Of her fate cannot blind 30 the OBJ
vious fact that she never could have been Of much
use In the world, and that the heartlcs:
Freddy Duncan would have been terribly punished
II she had lived and he had married her. Mar
garet is by far the pleasantest and whocsomest
person in the story in fact. too good for SO